Happenings From The Auntie B's Wax World Headquarters

Archive for May, 2013

I’m sitting in my rumpus room as I write this, watching a storm roll in while the aroma of a freshly cut bunch of lilacs fills the room. I spent the whole day picking up the house and doing some dusting and vacuuming. It felt really good to be wholly domestic for a change. If only I could have mustered up the motivation to cook a gourmet meal for Husby. Alas, we had a frozen pizza. Delicious, of course, but definitely not gourmet. Husby spent a good portion of the day doing yard work. It’s hard to get a lot done when there’s rain every day, but this morning the skies were clear so the grass was mowed, some flowers were planted, and hostas were split and distributed.

This weekend we’re going to a high school graduation party to help our little (6’7″) nephew, Fojo, celebrate his grand accomplishment. I’ll also be getting busy getting ready for the Chateau St. Croix Fete des Fleurs next weekend. I can hardly wait to have a sip of wine with the gang again.

For now I’m going to snug in and read in bed between fresh sheets while the rain spashes against the windows.

Tonight I’ll be attending the 2013 commencement ceremony for the seniors of DeLaSalle High School. One of those seniors is my nephew, Fojo. In honor of him and his undying passion for fishing I’m featuring my Fish Head Bottle Cap Magnet, available at my Etsy shop. Congratulations, Fojo. Here’s wishing you a fabulous summer of fishing!

Fish Head Bottle Cap Magnet at Auntie B’s Wax. Click the pic to shoot to the listing and buy one for yourself or someone who loves fish.

And in honor of the mom who encouraged and cheered Fojo on throughout his high school years I present this most surreal video. Enjoy, Charlotte, and everyone else who loves the bizarre things in life.

Like this:

Last week I asked you all to send put in a good word for me to the weather gods for my first show of the season. I trust that you did. Unfortunately the weather gods must have had their ear plugs in or else couldn’t perform their sun dance because they slept in until noon.

Roads are blocked in anticipation of hundreds and hundreds of festival goers. Vendor canopies are zipped up to protect the valuable products inside. Except that poor woman on the right side of the picture, who has no sides to zip up.

It started to rain while we were en route to the venue. By the time we got there it was still raining…hard. When you’re in the craft show business you can be prepared all you want, but trust me, setting up a canopy and keeping products dry in the rain is a challenge. A positive note – there was no wind.

The gutter at the rear side of my canopy was a flowing river of about three inches of water.

My hair was drenched, my make-up job was streaming down my face, and my shoes and socks were squish, squish, squishing with every step I took.

The heavy rain didn’t stop for another couple of hours. We were wet and cold. Husby got me a big cup of hot chocolate and himself a big cup of coffee to take the chill off a bit while we waited for the sun.

A view down the street from under my canopy just before the festival was about to begin.

Eventually the sun did come from behind the clouds, the temperature rose and the people came out. From 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. we watched a lot of people walking up and down the street…empty-handed. They weren’t shopping and they weren’t buying.

All of the vendors I talked to were having low sales, and we couldn’t blame the weather anymore. There’s nothing we can blame. That’s the nature of craft shows and festivals. Sometimes sales are good, sometimes they’re not. We as vendors take our chances with weather, disorganized event organizers, and shoppers. Applying for a booth at a craft show in a new venue is like playing roulette ~ I’m taking a gamble with both, and with both money can either be won or lost.

All was not lost in my gamble. I got wet but came home with a little more money than I put into the booth fee. Husby and I made friends with our vendor neighbors and even saw a couple of vendors we knew from other shows.

Like this:

Two weeks ago we had some snow flurries, but at long last the buds on the trees have morphed into actual leaves and any precipitation we’re getting isn’t frozen. But when it comes to preciptation the kids in Minnesota are going to get soaked between now and next weekend. As much as I love summertime thunderstorms I’m not so sure I want one this weekend, more specifically this Saturday.

Rain or shine I’ll be at the Hopkins Mainstreet Days Arts and Crafts Show on Saturday from 9:00 to 4:00, along with my trusty roadie, Husby. Today I’m all about making sure everything is packaged, priced, and ready for sale and even took vacation time from the day job to complete the project. This is the first show of the season for me, so I want to make sure I have all the bases covered.

You can’t miss the Auntie B’s Wax sign.

The first show of the season always makes me a little nervous, but preparing for it is also invigorating. Coming out of the studio into the outdoor air to mingle with my species as they peruse the works of artisans feels as fresh to me as the new spring air.

The always popular bobber candles.

If you can’t come to the Hopkins Mainstreet Days Arts and Crafts Show, please send a message to the weather gods to hold off on the rain until about 6:00 Saturday evening. After that I won’t mind all the rain they have to give us. That is, until the next show.

Like this:

When I began my little business, Auntie B’s Wax, I knew it would largely be about nostalgia. Candle fragrances that trigger childhood memories, little bottle cap magnets with charming vintage images, and drink charms featuring movies and TV shows of yesteryear. But my business could not be truly actualized unless there was a little room for diversion ~ a little something here and there that didn’t really fit into the vintage/nostalgia theme.

These are things that make me snicker and giggle like a third-grader. They’re kind of naughty, usually subversively so, and I can’t resist sharing them with my customers. Today I share with you one of these diversions…

Once A King Magnet for sale at Auntie B’s Wax ~ only $5! Click the pic to buy one now!